The Legend of Lucio
by Sagalink
Summary: Discontinued
1. Prologue

"Aye there, bro," a harsh voice called to me. "We're here. Sinnoh. Weird port town. Magic crystal. Get up!"

The man finally dropped his silly pirate accent, shoving me off of the bed I was so comfortably lying upon. I slowly raised myself from the ground, my side aching from the impact on the rough wood of the ship. Before me stood a blond-haired pirate, Matt, glaring at me in a detesting manner.

"Just, umm, get off the ship before the captain yells at me," he muttered, his eyes unfriendly and shifty.

"S-Sure." I climbed to the deck of the ship. We were docked next to a peaceful port town dressed in the beautiful whites and blues that fit on the eyes when next to the ocean. The huge, foreboding pirate ship greatly stood out

A few stomps warned me of the approach of the ship's captain. He extended a black-gloved hand with an expectant look. I reached in my pocket and handed him everything I had: thirty-five Rupees. For a moment, he examined the little gems curiously, before growling.

"How much is this supposed to be? In Gold?"

"I'm not sure... maybe sixty?"

He gave a gruff chuckle. "Why should I believe that?"

"Becaaause..." I stalled, trying to figure a way to get out of this mess. "I..." I swiftly dashed for the boarding deck, which I found was still being lowered, and the crew member doing so didn't look pleasant. I veered right, looking for some other means to escape. Glancing over the ship's edge, I saw we were close enough I could jump from the ship and, though from a ten foot height, land in the thin woods surrounding the town. It was that or face the burly man now charging towards me.

Taking a deep breath and a step back, I made a clean leap over the guard rail, free-falling for only a miniscule moment, my body clenching, before a barrage of leaves slapped against me. I soon landed on the earth, rolling off my momentum smoothly before sitting, dazed. I looked over myself: while the trees broke my fall to an extent, they left me with a number of scratches, and I certainly wasn't unbruised from the landing. But I was alive.

"Hey, Matt, he landed over there!" I heard someone cry.

I quickly regained my composure, racing into the town and down the bright streets. They weren't particularly crowded at this early hour, but I had a lot of people to dodge. The landing had bruised a muscle that was making it very difficult to walk, but I shook off the pain. From only a short distance behind, I heard the piercing sound of a gun. The people around me lost it at the sound, running in a wild panic. Clearly this town was normally very peaceful.

With my pace, I quickly navigated my way out of the chaotic streets and onto a nearly empty path called Route 218. The area was very serene, the sound of water lapping against the rocky edge of the land creating a very soothing rhythm. I crossed over a bridge where a few fisherman stared hopefully at the waters. The walk to the next town was only thirty minutes or so, but the distance was gruesome on my bruised muscle.

Eventually the scenic setting evolved into a greyscale "Jubilife City". The world turned from a beautiful mixture of the greens of plants and the deep blues of the ocean to monotone greyish blue and plain grey. I wasn't really a fan of cities.

 _Where am I supposed to go to get to this Hearthome City?_ I continued walking aimlessly until I came upon a "Pokemart" which looked like a place where they might sell maps or at least have one for view. I walked up to the place, where the door slid open for me, causing me to jump. As I walked in, I looked around for anyone who might've seen me coming in and opened it for me. Inside, the place was eerily lit with artificial light, making everything shiny and painfully bright.

"Hello!" a man behind the counter called in greeting, in Japanese. "What would you like today, sir?

I floundered for a moment, translating his odd dialect, then working out a reasonable response. "Do you have a map, please?"

Immediately, the two men gave me a strange look. I was really hoping it was just my accent. The one who'd greeted me recovered and answered, "Sorry, sir, we don't. There is one in the Pokemon Center, however."

Pokemon. It was surprising I'd only just come upon the word; I'd been expecting to hear it much sooner. Even more strange was the fact that I hadn't encountered any Pokemon, but I assume that would change as soon as I entered this Center of Pokemon.

"Thank you. And... good night," I bid the two, uncertain of my words, but their smiles reassured me.

The street lights were on once I left. They bathed the town in a soft blue light that truly felt city-like. The first things I saw when I exited was a distinguished orange building that begged for attention. Walking to the front of it, I was pleasantly surprised to find it labeled "Pokemon Center". The doors were shaped the same as the ones I'd previously encountered, so this time I was prepared when they slid open for me.

While this Pokemon Center was also overly bright and cheery from the light, the atmosphere was very calming. Just something about the place felt homey. As I was taking a deep breath, the mood was broken when I saw at my feet... a thing. A living thing, brown and quadrupedal, with huge buck teeth and glittery black eyes staring straight into me. I threw myself against the wall, groping my sword sheath.

"Are you okay?" a woman asked me, but her tone was very aloof and tense, as though she were trying to pick a fight. As soon as she spoke, the thing ran over to her side before turning back to stare at me.

Oh. This was a Pokemon. My behavior was undoubtedly foolish-looking things. Quickly recovering myself, I bowed a bit to the lady, apologizing. "It just surprised me..." I added quickly.

The woman responded by blabbering much faster than I could comprehend. I caught something about weapons and "stupid foreigners." Once she stopped, she was glaring at my sheath. I could at least partially assume what she said, so I tried my best to respond by lifting my hands up passively and saying, "I'm very sorry. It surprised me..." I struggled to think of a way to describe it as an impulse that I reached for my weapon, but nothing came to mind.

"Foreigners," she muttered, and gave me a passive-aggressive bid good night.

Unable to further defend myself, I simply advanced, and quickly spotted a map. I bee-lined over and stared at the simple lines and boxes that defined where I was. Following the paths, I'd have to pass through a city called Oreburgh, but other than that, it would be no more than a day. Satisfied, I decided my last stop was to retire for the night.

I left quickly, passing awkwardly by the lady again. By asking a few helpful people on the streets, I was able to find my way to the inn and check in before it got too late. On my way, I passed by more Pokemon, all walking aside their owners. They were so varied... one was human-like and lanky, another resembled a dog, and I ran into one that looked just like the lady's. As I sprawled onto my bed, all this new information swirled in my head and barricaded me from sleep. However, I eventually dozed off, and how late I stayed awake, I do not know.

* * *

 **The first chapter of the story won't be released until November 1st. I wanted to go ahead and post the prologue because I'm impatient. Plus, it will help motivate me to know that there might be someone waiting on the next chapter. Constructive criticism is appreciated!**


	2. Iwao

Two friendly blue eyes glowered at me from behind the mirror. Their owner's face was lined with waving honey-blond hair reaching just below the shoulders. I wondered if men with long hair were normal in this region. I shrugged, and combed the hair into place, scrunching it into a ponytail. Satisfied, I began my trek to Oreburgh.

Finally out of the monotone clutches of the city, I felt a lot more at ease. As I began my trip down Route 203, I found the grass around me getting progressively taller and untamed until it cut through the trail I was walking on. Raising my arms, I began to navigate through the thickness. I reached a place where the path solidified, but soon I found myself again pushing through the sea of grass. Then, my foot landed on something unusually meaty.

The thing responded quite lividly, thrusting up and throwing me off balance. Surprised by the violence of the creature, I collapsed into the depths of the grass, catching a glimpse of something winged as I fell. For a moment, I stared at the empty sky, a bit dazed from the event. Then, just as quickly as last time, the creature tackled me, its beak digging into my chest. I quickly grasped the hilt of my sword and swung it out as it was retreating, catching the bird on the flank. It veered off, landing nearby just outside the area of thick grass.

I approached the creature, making sure it hadn't punctured my skin during its attack. It bled badly onto the ground, its shiny eyes staring up at mine with fear in the familiar look of a dying animal. A teenager who had probably seen the whole event approached, his eyes wide on the bird. His mouth was agape, as though I had just burned a million rupees worth of priceless paintings.

"You... you HURT IT!" he exclaimed. There was nearly a hint of insanity in his voice. He reached desperately in his satchel for something as he continued. "You hurt a Pokemon! It might die! You..."

Out he pulled a few medical tools, immediately dropping and spraying something onto the wound before dressing it. "What is wrong with you?!" He stared up at me, and I could see intense anger in his eyes.

I faltered, mentally numbed under the power of his gaze. "It was defense.." I tried to explain.

"You... don't go into grass without a Pokemon anyways! And it didn't **stab** you, did it? You look fine, and it might die!"

I had done something terrible. He cradled the creature in his arms, standing up with a hard look on his face. "Why don't you go back to whatever country you're from, huh?"

I was thinking his question was rhetorical, but he waited for my answer. "N.. No, I can't." I answered, unable to think of politer words.

He said something **very** crude, something I couldn't translate. Something about me.

"I'm sorry..." I muttered. "I won't hurt any more."

I could see he was struggling to decide what to do. "Follow me." He started forward quickly, giving me no option. Did he really think he could command someone with a weapon? Then again, he did have a weapon: my own growing guilt, as I began to wonder if this Pokemon I'd attacked was a sentient creature.

He towed me through a dark cave, where fluttering and chattering sounds bounced around me with no clear source. The boy didn't seem alarmed in the least. Could he see in the dark or something? It was only a moment later that we emerged into the daylight again. And the other side of the cave was quite different: the ground was craggy and ragged, and the place carried an air of labor and determination. A few visual cues made it obvious this was a mining town.

"Okay," the teen commanded in a simplified tone, so I would certainly understand him, "Take this Pokemon to the Pokemon Center. They will heal her. Then, return her to her home. Understand?"

I nodded, making a point to take the bird very gently into my arms. There had been a few words he'd used I wasn't too familiar with, but his meaning was obvious. It was clear he had no intention of helping me, so I set off, searching every sign I passed for directions to the Pokemon Center, which all of them eagerly provided, making the trip quick and smooth. About halfway through, the Pokemon made a soft cooing sound again and again, which not only made me feel even guiltier, but was also fairly annoying. I started running.

The Pokemon Center again stood out from the rest of the city, vibrant orange against the dark grey and blue. Not to mention the building stood alone from the rest, making it almost awkward there. I dashed inside, the doors already opening for someone else to leave.

The Pokemon Center in Jubilife City had felt so homey and nice, so the almost riot-like crowd of people gathered before the counter was crude and alarming. Worse, I needed to get to that counter, or the Pokemon might die. It was already noticeably weaker. I sized up and interpreted the crowd. They were yelling very native things that were difficult to understand, but I could deduce they were concerned about some sort of "threat" to their "daily lives".

Suddenly, someone grabbed my shoulder a bit roughly, glaring from behind me through his glasses at the bird in my arms. His hair was a dark, unusual shade of purple, with a few sooty patches of grey present, and it was longer than any other native's hair was, as far as I'd seen, reaching towards his shoulders. He spoke not a word, his eyes, which were about the same color as his hair, focused completely on the bloody thing I held. Then, he looked at me, curious and searching. I stared right back in determination, assuming he meant to pick a fight. With a nod to himself, he stepped away from me, took a long breath, and yelled in a scary tone,

"Excuse me! There's an injured Pokemon here..." He went on quickly, to where I couldn't understand. But once he stopped, there was an obvious change in atmosphere. Though they gave me and the maroon-haired man somewhat unkind looks, they moved aside for us. Embarrassed by all the attention, I quickly made my way to the front and handed the pink-haired nurse the Pokemon. Her eyes lit up in alarm, and she rushed off to patch up the wound. When I turned back, all eyes were on me. I was frozen and unsure of what to do when the same man grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me to the side into a chair.

After a quiet moment, the crowd began to disperse and chatter amongst themselves. I turned to the man. "You didn't have to do all that. How embarrassing..."

He sighed. "No thanks? Yeesh..." He stared over the rim of his glasses at the ceiling for a moment. "What happened? Your Pokemon.."

I was surprised that he seemed to know I wasn't the best with Japanese. Perhaps I'd said something stupid already? I decided to be honest, as a subtle thanks to him. I had been a bit harsh in what I'd said. "I hurt it. With this." I gestured towards my sword sheath. I caught a slight widening of his eyes in response, but he was quick to dissemble this. "I... dislike my decision."

He responded by saying a short word I was completely unfamiliar with. Seeing my confusion, he clarified, "That means you wish you'd not done that."

So, now he was teaching me vocabulary. I made a mental note to not forget the word, but nonetheless frowned at him. "Yeah."

"Uhh..." For the first time, he expressed something other that utter confidence in his little pause. "My name's Iwao. Yours?"

"Lucio."*

He nodded. "That's an awesome name. I hate mine."

We both laughed at that.

We stepped out of the automatic doors together. I hadn't noticed in my haste to enter that right across from the Pokemon Center was the entrance to the town's mine. The sounds of toil and exasperation rang clear from the place. I was just about to say goodbye to Iwao and be on my way when he asked one last question:

"Where are you heading?"

"I need to go to the route to the west first. Then I'm going to Hearthome City."

He contemplated me for a moment with his eagerly intrigued eyes. "That's a long way."

"Ehh?" I scowled at him. "It's close by.."

"Not quite.." He gazed past me at something invisible. "The road is closed."

"What? Why?" I could hardly consider a good reason for them to close down a major road. If they were doing construction, there'd be a detour. And if there was a detour, Iwao would not be telling me I have to take the long way.

"War," he answered simply. He opened his mouth for a moment, but closed it. Then, he muttered, "I can't explain in simple Japanese. Sorry."

A war? I shook my head, frustrated. Everywhere I went there was war. "Please try."

He sighed. "Fine..." He went on, and though he spoke slowly, he made little effort to dumb down his description. I was surprised, however, by how much I understood. From what I drew, the town had created a barrier of men at that exit because, from what I can assume, they wanted to avoid some sort of war. Was it a civil war?

"So, what are your Pokemon?" he inquire the moment he finished.

"My... Pokemon?"

"Yes. Like your Starly there. You have more, right?"

When I didn't answer, he narrowed his eyes. "It's dangerous. You need Pokemon. Strong Pokemon. Wild ones attack you, and you'll be defenseless."

Wild Pokemon? The "Starly" I was holding had been wriggling around constantly, even once trying to peck me again. Only its wound kept it from escaping. So it was one of the wild Pokemon who attack people? There was always lots of pictures of huge, terrifying beasts of Pokemon. Without being able to use weapons, I didn't stand a chance against creatures like them.

"Do you have a driver's licence?"

"No."

"Hmm.. You could hitchhike, but that might be dangerous. You're a foreigner, after all." I didn't understand what being foreign had to do with it, but I shrugged off the remark. "Or you could take buses and taxis, but it will be very expensive." I was broke...

"Anything else?" I asked in an awkward manner I imagine wasn't grammatically liable.

He shrugged, but I could see a slight smirk on his face, a victorious smirk. "I could go with you. I'm a pretty strong Trainer, and I needed to go to that way. Maybe... I could give you a Pokemon.." I assumed he meant to let me borrow one once we parted, but I was unfamiliar with all the vocabulary.

Cornered, I had no choice but to accept his offer. He seemed strangely delighted to hear this. To be honest, I liked him a lot. Unlike the other people I'd come across, he didn't use the language barrier to call me names right in my face or tell half-lies to me. Although, he had an almost uncanny habit of seeming to know the outcome of all our conversations thus far. I was confident in trusting him, knowing that if he betrayed me, I could likely escape.

He led me forward. "If we hurry, we can make it back to Jubilife before dark." I was somewhat skeptical of this, but his strong tone gave the words credence, so we proceeded into the inky cave exit to the town.

"Hey, let's keep going. It's only evening."

As soon as we hit Jubilife City, which was earlier than either of us expected, Iwao began tugging me towards the next route. I only agreed because he was so obviously eager. I was a bit heavy-hearted, so I didn't really put much thought into the decision in the first place. When we released the Starly back into the wild, she had been quick to hop off and flutter weakly onto the low branch of a tree. I couldn't help but glimpse back at her multiple times as we advanced. Was she glad to be rid of the one who hurt her? I could only assume so.

Rustling. I broke from my trance when I hear a third something shuffling through the grass nearby. I watched the movements of the grass advance towards us, resisting the temptation to draw my sword. Iwao had caught on as well, but he seemed much calmer in contrast. Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved a Pokeball. I'd been excited to see one of these, although the one I was seeing was blue instead of the iconic red.

"What is it?" I muttered, gesturing towards the grass.

"Budew," he responded, and in turn this "Budew" emerged from the grass. It was an odd, thoroughly green creature, that twirled up into a bud at the top. It hopped about on its stubby legs, looking irritated at us, perhaps for bumbling loudly through its home. "Be careful, it..." he paused, coughing very heavily, "it's dangerous." I found that somewhat hard to believe.

Finally, he chucked the ball down, it emitting a bright light that formed into a humanoid shape before darkening to become a small, yet muscular blue Pokemon. It had something resembling yellow hair on its head, and it held up powerfully, seeming prepared to kill. Iwao coughed again, then glared at the Budew over his glasses.

"Kenta, Low Kick!" he commanded. The Pokemon automatically obeyed, running forth to gather force and slamming the little plant in the flank, which immediately flew through the grass beyond our site with a chocked cry.

"Amazing.." I commented. Not only was the Pokemon frighteningly powerful, but he also obeyed Iwao with no hesitation. Iwao, however, crossed his arms and rolled back his head, growling.

I was about to ask him what was the matter when he said, "I hate Budew.." He sniffed. Was he crying? When he turned to me, it even appeared so by the red in his face. He asked, "Are you okay?"

I smiled. "Yeah. I'm not affected by pollen."

In turn he fell into a coughing fit for a moment. "Dang it! Let's just go.."

Fairly amused at my friend's state, I followed behind, Kenta now walking quietly with us. The strange little Pokemon began humming a tune I'd never heard before, and I was again awed by how human-like he was. Occasionally, he'd throw in a little "Chop!" to the music, seeming to amuse himself doing so. We passed through a random cave (I was starting to see a pattern) and his sounds echoed about, causing some bats on the roof to chatter angrily.

Once we emerged back into the bare light of sunset, there was an immediate change in smell. I took a deep sniff of the sweet smell. Where was it coming from? When I looked before us, I saw the source: a huge, exquisite field of flowers.

*Note: Iwao is pronounced ee-wa-oh. Lucio is pronounced LOO-cho. Sorry my two main characters happen to have the most difficult names as well...


End file.
